North Bingham Library District schedules bond election

August 28, 2013

Administrators of the North Bingham County District Library in Shelley are asking voters to approve a $5 million bond for a new library. A super majority or two-thirds approval is required to pass this bond.
"We need a new library because we need more space for programing, computers, books and materials," said Heidi Riddoch, director of the library. "It's impossible to do everything so that we can offer what we need to offer.
"We need to stay up to date to meet the needs of the community," she said. "We also need more than one community room.
"Many groups use the community room," said Riddoch.
The room is used by Sons of the Utah Pioneers, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, all the pre-school graduations, home school groups, quilting and art classes to name a few.
"Our present library is full," said Dave Mecham, chairman of the North Bingham County Library Board of Trustees. "We've run out of space.
"[Librarians] have weeded out everything they can," he said. "We may soon need to place books in the meeting area.
"We can't run the programs that we want to run," said Mecham. "A new library would be able to offer more services, give people more places to meet and things to do.
"People in Firth and Shelley would be amazed how many things their kids could learn," he said.
"We've been trying to purchase the property at BMC West but that hasn't worked out," said Mecham.
Why request this bond now?
"Right now interest rates are low," he said. "I don't know of any other time it will be better [to ask for a bond.]
People can decide to vote for it or not; that's what I like about this country," said Mecham. "We get to choose."
The election will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.